Ke'Shawn Vaughn (5) waits with other players for a drill to start during Vanderbilt's first football practice of preseason camp
Friday Aug. 3, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn.
Larry McCormack / The Tennessean

Vanderbilt’s young wide receivers might be on the brink of a breakout season, or they might never seem as good as in preseason camp.

Praising the size, speed and athleticism of inexperienced wideouts became a habit for the Commodores this offseason. But three weeks from the season opener versus MTSU, is it now time to dial back the compliments?

After all, Kalija Lipscomb is the only wide receiver on the roster with at least 10 receptions in his career. Based on that, Athlon Sports magazine recently ranked Vanderbilt as the worst wide receiving corps in the SEC.

Despite replacing the bulk of last season’s wideouts with raw youngsters, optimism is high for Vanderbilt receivers. But count on quarterback Kyle Shurmur and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig to dump cold water on the preseason praise.

“It takes time. It takes experience. There are a lot of unknowns,” said Shurmur, the senior starter who threw a single-season school record 26 touchdown passes last season.

“Nobody is ready,” Ludwig said when asked whether his wide receivers look like they’re game-ready. “… We’ve got to get better every day. There is some talent, some dynamic ability out there. But we’ve got so much to learn in adapting to the speed of the game.

“I like what they bring to the table. I like their skill-set. But there is a lot of ball ahead of us before we kick that thing off.”

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) throws a pass as he is brought down by Kentucky defensive end T.J. Carter (90) during the second half at Vanderbilt Stadium Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn.
George Walker IV / Tennessean.com

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) signals to his team against Western Kentucky during the second half at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017.
Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) heads into the stadium before a game between Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017.
Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) passes against Georgia during the first half of a NCAA football game at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017.
Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) passes before being hit by Anfernee Jennings, 33, which resulted in a penalty during the 1st half of an NCAA football game at Vanderbilt Stadium Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn.
Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) dives in to score the game winning touchdown past Kansas State defensive back Kendall Adams (21) during the second half of an NCAA football game at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017.
Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) reacts to his touchdown against Kansas State with wide receiver C.J. Duncan (19) during the second half of an NCAA football game at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017.
Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) gestures after a play during the second half of an NCAA college football game at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017.
Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) throws a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017.
Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) is pressured into throwing an incomplete pass by North Carolina State defensive tackle B.J. Hill (98) in the second half of the Camping World Independence on Dec. 26, 2016.
Rogelio V. Solis, AP

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) drops back to pass in the first half of the game between Vanderbilt and Tennessee at Vanderbilt Stadium Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.
Larry McCormack / tennessean.com

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) is sacked by Tennessee State defensive end Ebenezer Ogundeko (1) during the second half on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.
George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) shouts instructions to his teammates in the third quarter of the home opener against South Carolina on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 in Nashville, Tenn.
George Walker IV / The Tennessean

In fairness, Shurmur and Ludwig both like the long-term potential of the wide receivers. But raw ability and immediate production are two different categories.

Lipscomb, who has 64 catches, 929 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons, looks as good as ever in camp. And Chris Pierce, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, touts the size that excites Mason. Pierce made no catches as a freshman last season, but he could start after an impressive showing early in camp.

But Ohio State transfer Alex Stump has been inconsistent in separating from defenders. Speedy junior Donaven Tennyson has had too many drops. Trey Ellis will have a role, but the former walk-on had only five catches last season. Sophomore Jackson Winrow made one catch last season. And James Bostic, a 6-3 redshirt freshman, has been sidelined by an injury in camp.

Brentwood Academy's Camron Johnson (27) scores the first touchdown during the first half of the Division II-AAA state championship game at Tucker Stadium in Cookeville, Tenn., Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017.
Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean

Brentwood Academy's Camron Johnson (22) shoots past MSU forward John McBride (23) during the first half of their semifinal game in the TSSAA Division II-AA basketball state championships at Allen Arena Friday, March 2, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn.
George Walker IV / The Tennessea

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There’s plenty of optimism around freshmen Cam Johnson, C.J. Bolar and Amir Abdur-Rahman. Johnson, a former Brentwood Academy standout, has shown sure hands. Bolar has progressed well after enrolling in January and practicing in the spring. And Abdur-Rahman, at 6-4, 207 pounds, has the physique of a veteran player.

The question is whether the young wide receivers can take advantage of Shurmur’s final season or whether they will need more time to make an immediate impact in games.